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Sarelda Rainwater Chumbley

Sarelda Rainwater Chumbley

Sarelda Ann Rainwater was the youngest daughter of Bartholomew Rainwater and Nancy McLaughlin. Born in 1841 in Pulaski Co., KY, she married a Tennessean, Alexander Chumbley, in 1859.

The couple lived and farmed in Pulaski County for thirty years, and brought forth eleven children into the world. These are: John Perry, 1860; James Marion, 1862; Miles R., 1864; George A., 1866; Nancy Jane, 1869; Bartholomew, 1872; Robert R., 1875; Margaret Ann, 1877; Lewis Milton, 1879; Malinda C., 1883; and Josiah Wilson, 1886.

In 1892, John Perry Chumbley moved his family to Texas, and his parents and siblings followed a year later, settling in the vicinity of Kentuckytown in Grayson County. In 1895, Alexander and Sarelda lived briefly in the tiny community of Sweat Box in Hunt County, about five miles south of present day Ladonia. Alexander died there and is buried in Hope Cemetery.

Following Alexander’s death, the family returned to Grayson County. Two of the Chumbley sons, James Marion and Lewis Milton, headed west to Arizona. The others remained to become part of the Whiteright community.

Prominent among the descendants of Alexander and Sarelda were Rev. Cleophas Chumbley, a Baptist minister, and Caleb Chumbley, who was the 1921 Texas State Champion Checker player.

Sarelda died in 1927 in Whiteright and was buried with numerous family members in Vittitoe Cemetery in Kentuckytown.

Credits
Photo and biographical information supplied by Tracy Thompson. Additional biographical information was drawn from "The History of Grayson County, Texas" published in 1979 by Grayson County Frontier Village, Inc.


© 2018 Susan Chance-Rainwater
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